The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-12-02

For week the Captain had been confined
to his berth in his cabin by a low, listless ship
fever. In that week he was unable to visit
the deck, and Rodney was busy attending to
him. The ships chest had few simple drugs
and remedies, of which every shipmaster was
supposed to know the use, and Captain Con
verse attempted to prescribe for himself. He
did not make much of a success of it.
| think that if he had known halfth shock
ing treatment that the mate was dealing out
70 the sailors he would have got upon deck
some way and stopped it; but he did not,
Mr.. Kinds brutality went on till the catas-
trophe came.
1t came on still, quiet night, when the
ship was hardly moving through the water.
| The Captain was slightly deliriOus, and Rod
ney was awake almost the whole night, wet
ting his head, and giving him powders and
drink. About midnight the cabin-boy heard
strange noises from the deck. There were
shouts and cries, pistol shot; and later,
the sound of oars in the water, rounding
the ships stern. Rodney looked out through
the bull's-eye window, but the plight was
! dark, and nothing was in sight y
He thought he would go cautiously on
deck and reconnotre. He tried the cabin
door, and found it locked.
When the long hours of the night had
passed, the Captain woke from from his
slumber and was conscious The boy told
him what he heard.
Something dreadful has happened" the
Captain groaned. Take Ratchet from the
locker, break the lock of the door, and find
out what's wrong"
Something very dreadful had happened,
and Rodney was not long in finding it out.
The mate was propped up against the fore
mast, with two knives driven through his
breast and a bullet-hole in his head A white
tper was pinned to his coat, scrawled over
with rude characters, which the boy deciph-
cred as follows:
Sir Cap; We likes you, and we would
not hurt you nor the boy; but this here brute
had to be put where the devil will give him
the ropes end We start him on his VICE.
and we goes our ways. Fair well, and may
you make port safe"
the names Of the seamen, "round-robin" style,
so that, in case they were caught the names
of the ringleaders would not be known.
Rodney looked from the horrible spectacle
of the deck and saw that there was dead
calm. The sea was like glass. The sails of
the Cynthia idly tapped from the yards. Not
another sail was in sight. The mutinous
and the runaway crew had taken the long
boat and the jolly-boat and were now far be-
yond call or sight.
Rodney took the paper and went back TO
the cabin. The Captain weak and sick as
he was, helpless and uunerved, heard the
boys account and fell back groaning on his
pillow.
God be merciful to us ~ he cried. 1T is a
Judgment upon us for not standing between
Hiuds and my poor sailors. knew my
duty, and did it not. Boy, we shall starve
we shall drift helpless until the storms
carry us TO the bottom. Poor innocent that
you are, l have involved you ia my punish
ment"
Rodney Barre was but twelve years old
but "the child is the father of the man." and
The hero.spiTit OF his later years began to
SHINE out in him. He talked cheerfully and
soothingly to the sick Captain, and told
him what he thought he could do There
would be no danger, he said, while the calm
Continued and, before gale came up, he
hoped to signal some vessel and get relief
"How, I'd like to know? fretfully inter-
rupted the Captain.
I'm run up the U nion-Jack, union down, to
the main top-mast."
"Well. But there's no water nor food in the
cabin lockers here. Ten to one some of
those sailors locked up the bukhead door
and threw the key overheard. How will YOU
get into the hard biscuit, salt.junk, and water
casks?"
81 can find an axe" said Rodney. an
break ill.,"
Good said the Captain, drowsiy. Take
command of the ship, lad | can't stay awake.
Kinds said l mustn't bring You, but think
the hand of God was in it,"
While the Captain slept Rodney bestrred
himself. He found the bulkhead door was
u do and nh do ..,,o
provisions and water enough for weeks. The
dsagreeable job of pulling out the knives and
rolling the body of the mate overheard was
next performed by the boy. Then he cot
the Union Jack from the cabin, and wrap
ping 1t about him under his arms, he went
up the shrouds, up the ropes, till he stood on
the main cross-trees. Heseized the halliards,
rove the flag to them, and ran it UP to the
very peak Of the main.mlst.
There was no breeze on deck in that
lofty height there was just enough to shake
out the folds of the bunting, and show that
the union was down, the signal of distress
Tue boy sat down, grasped the rope, and !
waited. He scanned the horizon in every
direction. Nothing appeared but an alba
lross and some noisy gulls. He knew that
the Captains slumber would continue at least
two hours, and he remained aloft to watch.
His little soul was strong with hope, was
firm with trust iu God. His courage and
faith were rewarded, for on the horizon at
last appeared white speck it slowly but
steadily grew, it became a sail, it was surely
the forlorn Cynthia, and Roll
ney descended to the deck, and returned to
the cabin, to tell the joyful news.
Before dark the Cynthia was hailed by the
good ship Dumbarton Castle, of York, and
the cabin-5oy boldly told his story through
the Captains speaking trumpet. Men enough
were spared by the Castle TO take the Gym
thia into port, Ship and cargo were saved,
and the cabin boy received from the owners
in England, months later, one hundred
pounds for his services.
But who was the cabin-boy ?" the children
always asGed, at this point.
Years LATER | would say, "he was known
as Admiral, Sir Rodney Barre, II. N. The |
events | have described occurred in ITO |
When Sir Joshua painted the picture Sir
Rodney, although only twenty seven, was a |
post captain, and had seen sea fights in his
own ship"
'Eut how did you get the picture ?" would |
be the next question.
We'll, my dears, it so happened that the
Admiral was my father He married when |
he was of middle age | was his only child. /
God has allowed me 80 long O span of life |
that | can talk to the Admiraps great grand
children about him.
1t was wee Minnie who remarked at this
point. looking at the the picture:
"Why, what nice little sailor-boy our
was"